Genesis 5

I.                Adam Uncorrupted (Genesis 5:1-2)

A.    Genesis 5:1 – This [is] the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

a.      Parallel of NT Matthew 1:1 – The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham

1.     Occurs only in connection with the first man (Adam) and the second man (Jesus Christ) and Son of man or Son of Adam.

2.     Generation – genealogy or pedigree

b.     Here we are about to begin exploring the Generations of Adam.  Notice the similarities between this and Genesis 2:4 “The Generations of the Heaven and the Earth”(which should have commenced the 2^nd chapter).  Cain and his posterity were included in the generations of the heaven and the earth, but not in the generations of Adam.  Abel is also not included; the possible reason being that he may have died childless. 

B.    Genesis 5:2 – Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

a.      Here we finally see that God named Adam, who else did God name?

1.     God named the first man, man named posterity (however some were at the instruction of God)

2.     Notice God did not name Eve

3.     God renamed others throughout scripture, including: renamed Abraham (Abram), Sarah (Sarai), Israel (Jacob) and Paul (Saul); He named Cyrus, John and Jesus

b.     This is interesting that God blessed them and called their name Adam. Remember Genesis 2:24, God looks upon them as one flesh.  Is this how God looks upon married couples today? Gives more insight as to why homosexuality is an abomination to God, and why “same-sex marriage” is not a marriage at all, for two men or two women cannot be one flesh.

c.      This sheds more light on why scripture appears slanted toward men, its not that men have any more significance than women, it may be that when God looks upon a married man and woman in His eyes they are one flesh and thus are given one name.  Once this understanding is made evident, one could then argue that scripture is composed in perfect equality between the sexes.

II.             Corrupted Adam (Genesis 5:3-5)

A.    Genesis 5:3 – And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat [a son] in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

a.      So was this 130 years from Adam’s creation or 130 years from the fall? The beginning of the 130 years of Adam is 1,656 years before the flood

b.     Seth - שת Sheth, compensation

c.      Seth was born 1,526 years before the flood

d.     So if Seth is in the likeness of Adam and according to 5:1 Adam was created in the likeness of God, this would lead one to the conclusion that Seth was also in the likeness of God.  The author made a special point to draw attention to the fact that Seth was “in his own likeness, after his image”.  Cain is never said to be in the likeness of Adam, but Seth is the appointed seed “instead of Abel” according to 4:25; therefore, Abel can be said to have been in the likeness of Adam.

e.      Targum Pseudo-Jonathan - When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he begot Seth, who resembled his image and likeness.  For before that, Eve had borne Cain, who was not from him and who did not resemble him.  Abel was killed by Cain, and Cain was banished, and his descendants are not recorded in the book of the genealogy of Adam.  But afterwards he begot one who resembled him and he called his name Seth.

B.    Genesis 5:4 – And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

a.      Unlike Cain’s genealogy we are given the time of death.

b.     Unlike Cain’s genealogy we can see other “sons and daughters” were begotten

C.    Genesis 5:5 – And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

a.      First recorded death of what we call today natural causes or old age.  Ironic, since death is unnatural. 

b.     Notice God’s promise from 2:17 is fulfilled, for Adam did in fact die “in that day”:

1.     II Peter 3:8 – But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

2.     As we proceed through the genealogies you will see several men approach that 1000 year or “one day” threshold, but no one crosses it (other than Enoch and Elijah).  Therefore, all who have gone before have surely died in that day.

III.          The progeny of Adam (Genesis 5:6-27)

A.    Genesis 5:6 – And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

a.      Adam is now 235 years old (695 to go)

b.     Enos - אנוש 'Enowsh (proper masculine noun) man, frail, incurable 1,421 years before the flood

B.    Genesis 5:7 – And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:

C.    Genesis 5:8 – And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

D.    Genesis 5:9 – And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

a.      Adam is now 325 / 930 years old

b.     Seth is now 195 / 912 years old

c.      1,331 years before the flood

E.     Genesis 5:10 – And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

a.      Cainan - קינן Qeynan, possession

b.     Interesting choice of a name.  Remember after Enos whose name means frail, incurable and men began to profanely call upon the name of the Lord.  Enos essentially chooses to name his son after his banished uncle.

F.     Genesis 5:11 – And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

a.      Enos lived to be 905 years old, so his name which means frail and incurable obviously does not refer to his physical body, but most likely the frail and incurable state of his soul.

G.    Genesis 5:12 – And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:

a.      Mahalaleel - מהללאל Mahalal'el, praise of God

b.     Adam is now 395 / 930 years old

c.      Seth is now 265 / 912 years old

d.     Enos is now 160 / 905 years old

e.      1,261 years before the flood

H.    Genesis 5:13 – And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:

I.       Genesis 5:14 – And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

J.      Genesis 5:15 – And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:

a.      Jared - ירד Yered, descent

b.     Adam is now 460 / 930 years old

c.      Seth is now 330 / 912 years old

d.     Enos is now 220 / 905 years old

e.      Cainan is now 135 / 840 years old

f.       1,196 years before the flood

K.    Genesis 5:16 – And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:

L.     Genesis 5:17 – And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

M.   Genesis 5:18 – And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

a.      Enoch - חנוך Chanowk, teaching or initiation, dedicated

b.     Adam is now 622 / 930 years old

c.      Seth is now 492 / 912 years old

d.     Enos is now 382 / 905 years old

e.      Cainan is now 297 / 840 years old

f.       Mahalaleel is now 227 /830 years old

g.      1,034 years before the flood

N.    Genesis 5:19 – And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

O.    Genesis 5:20 – And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

P.     Genesis 5:21 – And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

a.      Methuselah - מתושלח Mĕthuwshelach, man of the dart or javelin

b.     Adam is now 687 / 930 years old

c.      Seth is now 557 / 912 years old

d.     Enos is now 447 / 905 years old

e.      Cainan is now 362 / 840 years old

f.       Mahalaleel is now 292 /830 years old

g.      Jared is now 227 / 962 years old

h.      969 years before the flood

Q.    Genesis 5:22 – And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

R.    Genesis 5:23 – And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

a.      Interesting that 365 years corresponds to the number of days in a year

b.     57 years after Adam’s death, Enoch is translated

c.      Seth is 857 / 912 years old when Enoch is translated

d.     Enos is 747 / 905 years old when Enoch is translated

S.     Genesis 5:24 – And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him.

a.      Hebrews 11:5 - By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

b.     One of two men (Elijah) not to die II Kings 2:9

c.      Targum Pseudo-Jonathan –Enoch worshipped in truth before the Lord,  and behold he was not with the inhabitants of the earth because he was taken away and he ascended to the firmament at the command of the Lord, and he was called Metatron, the Great Scribe.

T.     Genesis 5:25 – And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:

a.      Lamech - למך Lemek (propermasculine noun) powerful

b.     Adam is now 874 / 930 years old (so Adam was at least a great-great-great-great-great grandfather when he died)

c.      Seth is now 744 / 912 years old

d.     Enos is now 634 / 905 years old

e.      Cainan is now 549 / 840 years old

f.       Mahalaleel is now 479 /830 years old

g.      Jared is now 414 / 962 years old

h.      Enoch is now 252 years old (113 years before his translation)

i.       782 years before the flood

U.    Genesis 5:26 – And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:

V.    Genesis 5:27 – And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

IV.          Noah and his sons (Genesis 5:28-32)

A.    Genesis 5:28 – And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:

a.      126 years after the death of Adam

b.     14 years after the death of Seth

c.      Enos is now 816 / 905 years old

d.     Cainan is now 731 / 840 years old

e.      Mahalaleel is now 661 /830 years old

f.       Jared is now 596 / 962 years old

g.      69 years after the translation of Enoch

h.      Methuselah is now 369 / 969 years old 600 years before the flood, lives another 600 year? Was Methuselah killed in the flood, or did the Lord wait until Methuselah died until He sent the flood?

i.       Lamech is now 182 / 777 years old, Lamech died 5 years before the flood

B.    Genesis 5:29 – And he called his name Noah, saying, This [same] shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

a.      Noah - נח Noach, rest

C.    Genesis 5:30 – And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:

D.    Genesis 5:31 – And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

E.     Genesis 5:32 – And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

a.      Shem – שם Shem, name

b.     Ham – חם Cham, hot

c.      Japheth – יפת Yepheth, opened

d.     Names are written here in reverse order :

1.     Genesis 10:21 – Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder…

2.     Japheth is the older brother, scholars believe Shem is last here because the generations of Shem are those of significance with respect to the coming Messiah.

e.      626 years after the death of Adam

f.       514 years after the death of Seth

g.      411 years after the death of Enos

h.      401 years after the death of Cainan

i.       331 years after the death of Mahalaleel

j.       134 years after the death of Jared

k.      569 years after the translation of Enoch

l.       Methuselah is 869/969 years old

m.    Lamech is now 682 of 777 years old

n.      100 years before the flood

o.     Were Shem, Ham and Japheth triplets? If they were all born in the same year, at the very least two would have had to have been twins

Genesis 4:17 - 26

IV.                 Cain’s Posterity (Genesis 4:17-24)

Appendix 20, Companion Bible, E.W. Bullinger – The Posterity of Cain: It is important to note that the posterity of Cain comes in the First Toledoth, that of “the generations of the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 2:4 – 4:26); and not in “the book of the generations of Adam” (Genesis 5:1 – 6).

Note: What you are going to see in Cain’s posterity is different than the other genealogies in Genesis in that years of life are not given only occupations in some instances (notice nothing agricultural) similar names to those in Seth’s posterity. What is the significance? Possibly showing how the things of God are copied by the things of Satan.  Additionally, up to Lamech we see only one offspring each, unlike the next chapter where the text states specifically that Adam and his posterity had other sons and daughters.  Should we assume that without this phrase (begat sons and daughters) that the posterity is limited to the individual named?  It seems like not assuming such would indicate a discrepancy in writing style, or is it merely non-essential information hence not provided.

A.    Genesis 4:17 – And Cain knew his wife and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

1.     God told Cain he would “shift and stray” yet what is he doing here? Building a city.   Is this another act of defiance? An attempt to create a wall of safety?

a.      Compare Cain’s response to that of David when the Lord told him Not to build Him a temple:

·       II Samuel 7:20-21 – And what can David say more unto Thee? For Thou, Lord God, knowest Thy servant.  For Thy word’s sake, and according to Thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make Thy servant know them.

·       David later went on to gather the materials needed to build the temple of the Lord

·       How is David’s response different than that of Cain? David obeyed, Cain disobeyed

2.     builded - בנה banah to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue, Leupold says “was engaged in building”

·       but did he ever finish? Text does not say

3.     Enoch – חנוך Chanowk, teaching or initiation, dedicated.  As we will see in chapter 5 this is the same name as the 7^th from Adam who “walked with God”.

4.     Here we have “teaching or initiation” of “the way of Cain” (Jude 11) vs., the “teaching/initiation” or prophesying the Word of the Lord (Jude 14-15).  We can begin to see the 2 paths splitting, one is genuine the other  a distortion (though the distortion may or may not precede the genuine in terms of linear time).

5.     These are the last actions of Cain, no information on how long he lived, or his cause of death (the same with his posterity)

B.    Genesis 4:18 – And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

1.     Irad – עירד `Iyrad (proper masculine noun), fleet of witness

2.     Mehujael - מחויאל Mĕchuwya'el (proper masculine noun), smitten by God

3.     Methusael - מתושאל Mĕthuwsha'el(proper masculine noun), who is of God.

4.     Lamech - למך Lemek (propermasculine noun) powerful

5.     Notice that we have no indication of how long each of these men lived or when they were born with respect to the age of their father.

C.    Genesis 4:19 – And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

1.     First polygamist:

a.      Adah - עדה `Adah(proper feminine noun) ornament

b.     Zillah - צלה Tsillah, (proper feminine noun) shade

D.    Genesis 4:20 – And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

1.     Jabal - יבל Yabal flowing or stream of water

·       Rancher

E.     Genesis 4:21 – And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all  such as handle the harp and organ.

1.     Jubal – יובל Yuwbal stream,  joyful sound

·       First musician

F.     Genesis 4:22 – And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

1.     Tubal-cain - תובל קין Tuwbal Qayin (proper masculine noun) thou will be brought of Cain

·       Metallurgist – worker of brass (65% copper, 35% zinc) and iron, brass and iron most likely used for tools, weaponry and armor.

2.     Naamah -  נעמה Na`amah (proper feminine noun) loveliness, first female mentioned with ancestry mentioned (other than Eve)

G.    Genesis 4:23 – And Lamech said unto his wives “Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: For I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

1.     Parallelism, Synonymous or Gradational – This is when the lines are parallel in thought, and in the use of synonymous words.  The oldest example, and the first in the Bible, is Genesis 4:23, 24. – In these oldest human poetic lines Lamech celebrates the invention of weapons of war: and it is significant that this should be the first subject of poetry! Lamech’s son was “an instructor of every artificier in brass and iron,” and the injury of others was the earliest application of the art.

Lamech is so elated with that which would give him power among men that he at once breaks out in eulogy; and boasts that if anyone injures him, he would outdo even Jehovah in His punishment of those who should injure Cain. 

Figures of Speech, 5. Repetition of Subjects, p. 350,  E.W. Bullinger

                             

More accurately read:

Adah and Zillah hearken to my voice;

Ye wives of Lamech listen to my speech.

For I can slay a man, if he injures me

And a young man, if he hurts me

If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold,

Truly Lamech [shall be avenged] seventy-seven fold

 

H.    Genesis 4:24 – If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”

1.     Notice God is silent to this declaration from Lamech

2.     Sounds similar to another biblical character

·       I Samuel 17:4-9 – And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.  And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.  And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.  And the staff of his spear was like the weaver’s beam; and his spears head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.  And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, “Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants of Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.  If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.”

-        Goliath is arrayed with brass and iron weaponry, he puts his faith and trust on the things made of man.  Just like Lamech, he is boasting of his power to kill.  Notice who comes out against him

·       I Samuel 17:38-39 – And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; he also armed him with a coat of mail.  And David girded his sword upon his armor, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it.  And David said unto Saul, “I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them.” And David put them off of him.

-        David rejected the things that man puts his faith in and chose to place his faith in the Lord God.

·       I Samuel 17:45 – Then David said to the Philistine, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”

-        I think we know how this turned out!                    

V.               Adam’s Posterity (Genesis 4:25 – 26 Continued in Chapter 5)

A.    Genesis 4:25 – And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: “For God,” said she, “hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.”

1.     Seth – Substituted

2.     Notice Seth is substituted for Abel, so somewhere between 4:1 and here Eve realized that Cain was not the seed promised in 3:15, but rather Abel. 

B.    Genesis 4:26 – And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

1.     Enos – אנוש 'Enowsh (proper masculine noun) man, frail, incurable

a.      Remember the enosh אנוש 'enowsh, is one of the 4 Hebrew words translated to the English word man with regard to his infirmities, and incurable character

2.     Reading this in English it appears to be an act of submission to God; however, what it actually means is that men began to call other gods by the name of Lord or began to profanely call upon the name of the Lord.  According to Bullinger most of the ancient commentators supply the Ellipsis by the words “their gods”; suggesting that they called the stars and idols their gods, and worshipped them. 

a.      Targum of Jonathan – That was the generation in whose days they begun to err, and to make themselves idols, and surnamed their idols by the Name of the Word of the Lord.

b.     If we take the KJV to mean what it says in English as face value, what was the “ungodliness” that Enoch prophesied about in Jude 14-15?

c.      Began - חלל chalal (verb, primitive root) – to bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one’s word), to begin (as if by an “opening wedge”)

Genesis 4:10 - 16

B.    Genesis 4:10 – And He said, “What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

1.     There is no use trying to hide sin from God

2.     Matthew 23:33-35 – Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all righteous blood shed upon the earth, from righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the alter.

a.      Whom is Christ addressing? Scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites from v. 29

b.     Why does he refer to them as serpents, generation of vipers? Could it be that they are of the serpent?

c.      Christ is directly accusing them, his present audience of slaying Zacharius the prophet some 400 years ago.

3.     John 8:42-44 – Jesus said unto them, “If God were your Father, ye would love Me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear My Word.  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

a.      Who is Christ addressing? Scribes and Pharisees

b.     This serves to confirm Matthew 23:33-35 when Christ refers to them as “serpents” He is stating “Ye are of your father the devil”

c.      State “your father” was a “murderer from the beginning” who was a murderer from the beginning? Cain was the first murderer

 

II.               Cain’s Punishment (Genesis 4:11-16)

A.    Genesis 4:11 – And now thou art cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

1.     cursed – ארר 'arar, (verb), to curse

2.     from the earth – אדמה 'adamah,

3.     earth “opened her mouth”?

B.    Genesis 4:12 – When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth.”

1.     Since from 4:2 we know Cain was a “tiller of the ground” the punishment is evidently stripping him of that occupation.

2.     Genesis 3:17 already places a curse upon the ground that it will produce thorns and thistles, here with Cain it simply won’t produce.

3.     Is this curse for Cain only or his posterity as well?

4.     If this is for Cain’s posterity as well as for himself how then are they to survive? Merchants, Money Changing (usery), other industries not dependent upon growing agriculture

5.     fugitive – נוע nuwa`(verb), to quiver, totter, shake, reel, stagger, wander, move, sift, make move, wave, waver, tremble

6.     vagabond – נוד nuwd (verb), to shake, waver, wander, move to and fro, flutter, show grief, have compassion on

7.     These are verbs, not nouns they are describing Cains actions and tendencies.  Leupold says “shifting and straying”

C.    Genesis 4:13 – And Cain said unto the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

1.     Punishment – עון `avon,(masculine noun), perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity

2.     Instead of repenting and accepting the consequences of his actions, Cain despairs.

3.     Difference of opinion on whether Cain is referring to the punishment or the sin.

4.     It is not the enormity of his guilt that strikes heavily into his conscience…Cain merely cringes at the thought of what he must bear. ~H.C. Leupold

5.     My sin is too great to be forgiven. ~Luther

D.    Genesis 4:14 – Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me.”

1.     earth –  אדמה 'adamah, (feminine noun) ground, land, whole inhabited earth

2.     Cain is worried that whoever finds him will kill him.  Things to consider:

a.      As far as we know the only people on earth at this time is Adam, Eve and Cain

b.     Who would kill Cain?

c.      If he had other siblings wouldn’t he have said something like “If my brothers find me they will slay me?” Why is he throwing out the general term “anyone” who finds me?

d.     Could there have been other (unrelated) people on earth that has not been named? (See Genesis 1:27 vs. Genesis 2:7, where 2:7 is the first verse with the article ‘eth preceding adam or “The Man”.  Without the article adam simply means mankind similar to how we use man in the statement “since the dawn of man”)

e.      Were these two verses speaking of separate creations of man, one being mankind in general and the other being The Man, Adam?

f.       Somewhat confusing since Genesis 2:4 clearly states “These are the Generations of the Heavens and of the Earth” followed by the fall and posterity of Cain and Seth.  We will see in Chapter 5 that it starts with “This is the Book of the Generations of Adam” which begins with Seth and no mention of Cain.

E.     Genesis 4:15 – And the Lord said unto Him, “Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

1.     Again, who would God be referring to if the only other people on earth were Adam and Eve.  Why does the Lord take a very impersonal word “whosoever” rather than take the opportunity to be much more specific?  Seems that God is justifying Cain’s fear and it is not mere paranoia.

2.     Sevenfold – שבעתים shib`athayim (feminine noun) sevenfold, seven times or seven times over would the murder be avenged.  How is a murder avenged seven times over? Seven times worse than Cain’s punishment.  Possibly to seven generations.

a.      Why does God spare Cain at all?

b.     Is this an act of mercy to perhaps bring about repentance?

c.      Or is it to perpetuate the collision course spoken of in 3:15?

3.     a mark – אות 'owth (feminine noun) sign, signal, token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof (set a sign or gave him a pledge) this sounds remarkably like the word “oath” in today’s English…was this an oath and not a physical mark? Only place in KJV where this word is translated “a mark”.  The word is used 79 times in the KJV as follows: sign(s) 60, token(s) 14, ensign(s) 2, miracles 2, mark 1

4.     Most often it is understood that the sign was “set upon” Cain, according to Leupold the text does not say in or on Cain, but for Cain.

5.     This word is also used with reference to signify His people.  Here are some other examples of the word אות 'owth:

a.      Ezekiel 20:12 – Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.

·       Sabbaths – שבת shabbath

·       Sign – אות 'owth

·       We normally don’t think of the Sabbaths as being a physical mark upon His people.  This, however is the same word God speaks to Cain, should they be separated in meaning?

b.     Genesis 9:17 – And God said unto Noah, This [is] the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that [is] upon the earth.

·       Token - אות 'owth

·       Here God is speaking of the rainbow as a symbol of His covenant, a rainbow is the reflection of a spectrum of light not a physical mark.

c.      Genesis 4:15 – (NASB) So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him.

·       Here we see in the NASB that it was a sign appointed for Cain.  Whatever it was is a mystery today.

F.     Genesis 4:16 – And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

1.     Appears that this was most likely a description of the region and not the proper name of a region.

2.     Nod – נוד Nowd, (proper locative noun) wandering, very similar to the word translated to vagabond in 4:12

·       Cuneiform Inscriptions – “Land of the Nomads”

·       Leupold “The land of wandering or straying” rendering no significance to the noun as being proper.

·       Currently no archaeological support for such a place

·       May be the etymology of the word nomad à no__d